We Owned The Night
by TheFifthCharmedOne
Summary: AU. Lucy is the daughter of wealth, the kind of girl that everyone envies. Natsu is the son of a beggar, the kind of boy no one cares about. When their lives suddenly collide, will sparks fly? T for later chapters.
1. Prologue: In the Beginning

We Owned The Night

By: TheFifthCharmedOne

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail; it belongs to Hiro Mashima. Duh. :P I'm not epic enough for that.

Summary: AU. Lucy is the daughter of wealth, the kind of girl that everyone envies. Natsu is the son of a beggar, the kind of boy no one cares about. When their lives suddenly collide, will sparks fly?

-X-X-X-

Prologue: In the Beginning

A gurglingstream bubbled in the distance, and wheatgrass crunched under the boy's feet as he pushed through the forest. His companion, a blue cat with angelic white wings, floated beside him, a puzzled look on his face.

"What are we doing here Natsu?" he asked, and the boy shushed him. He took a quick glance to see if his quarry had heard the blue cat, but it didn't seem like she had.

"Be quiet!" the boy, Natsu, whispered harshly. Happy, the cat, sensed the urgency in Natsu's voice and obeyed.

The boy with rosy colored hair crouched down as he approached what he had been seeking. A giggle escaped from her, and Natsu found himself smiling too. He had no idea why, but her laugh was contagious.

This wasn't the first time he'd been here, as he'd been watching her for some time now. He knew nothing about her, other than the fact that her family was rich. So rich, in fact, that they lived in a huge mansion just down the road. Ever since he had first heard her laugh, he had been drawn to her. Her blond hair glowed in the sunlight, and what he could see of her complexion was smooth and could be compared to porcelain. He always hid out of plain sight, just so he could watch her.

"You liiiiiiiikkkkkeeeee her!" Happy teased in Natsu's ear, loud enough to make the girl look over. Natsu panicked and shoved Happy into the ground, falling flat on his stomach to avoid being seen.

They stayed that way for a few minutes, and then Natsu saw small feet approach their hiding place. She wore ballet slippers with intricate, yet beautiful designs on them.

"I know you're there, so why don't you just come out?" The girl's voice was sweet and kind, and Natsu slowly got to his feet. He now saw she had dark brown eyes, the color of chocolate. "I'm Lucy. What's your name?"

"Natsu, and this is Happy." The girl, Lucy, smiled, and the sunlight caught her in just the right way that Natsu felt his eyes grow wide and his cheeks redden.

"Come on, let's go play!" Lucy smiled, and ran off toward the lake. "Catch me if you can!"

Natsu grinned and chased after his new friend, and they played until the sun had dipped low past the horizon, so that the sky was starting to shine with starlight.

Lucy yawned, and Natsu felt himself becoming tired as well. They sat by the lake for a few minutes, just watching as the sunset completely faded from existence.

Suddenly, Natsu felt a strange weight on his shoulder, and looked to see that Lucy had fallen asleep, using his arm as support. He smiled. He allowed himself to drift off as well, his head leaning on top of hers.

-X-X-X

"Miss Lucy! Miss Lucy!" Adult voices were calling for Lucy. She stirred and lazily opened her eyes, looking around. It was early morning, she deducted, from the fog and mist that clung to the fields around the lake. She looked around for Natsu, but to her disappointment, he was gone.

She slowly stood up, making her presence known, but not before she found a note.

_Lucy,_

_Sorry I couldn't stay, but I promise I'll be back tomorrow! _

_-Natsu _

The thought of playing with Natsu again made a smile come to her face, her brown eyes shining with happiness.

"Miss Lucy, there you are!" a relieved cry came from Lucy's maid. "Your father has been looking everywhere for you!" the young blonde zoned out of the rest of her maid's worried rants and thought about Natsu. She liked him; liked spending time with him. He was fun.

-X-X-X-

For weeks after that, Natsu and Lucy constantly played together, always by that same lake. Sometimes they played tag, or hide and seek, or during the summer they played in the cool lake. All the time, Lucy's family was unawares. She liked it that way; Natsu was her secret, and hers alone.

The weeks turned into a little over a year, right around Lucy's eleventh birthday.

They were going to meet like they usually did, and today, Natsu had a surprise for Lucy.

"Natsu, where are we going?" Lucy laughed as the pink-haired boy led her through the forest outside their lake.

"I just want to show you something!" he said enthusiastically. Lucy followed without question.

They came to a small clearing where Natsu stepped out in front of Lucy, a huge grin on his face.

"What is it that you're going to show me?" Lucy asked, sounding frustrated. Natsu knew it wasn't because she was mad at him; she just wanted to know why he was being so secretive.

"Promise you won't freak, okay?" he said. Lucy gave him a weird look, but nodded. Nothing he did could freak her out.

He held out his hand and fire jumped forth.

For a second, Natsu expected her to freak out, but she kept her promise. She looked at the fire, entranced by the fact that it sat there, burning on his hand, yet he seemed to feel no pain.

"What is this?" she asked, amazed.

"Magic." Natsu replied. Lucy glanced at him in disbelief, but then realized she could find no other reason for the phenomena.

"Wow." she watched the fire for a few more seconds before Natsu allowed it to disappear. "Where did you learn that?"

"Igneel. He's a dragon."

"A dragon?" Lucy sounded skeptical. "How could a dragon even exist? Let alone teach a human to use fire magic…"

"Just trust me Luce!"

_Trust me Luce…_

-X-X-X-

A/N: I know, I know. I should not be posting more new stories, at least not until I finish at least ONE of my old ones. But this inspiration came to me the other night, and after struggling profusely with a title, I finally found one that fit.

So, first Fairy Tail fanfic. Please review; tell me what you thought. :3

~Charmy


	2. Six Years Later

We Owned The Night

By: TheFifthCharmedOne

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail; it belongs to Hiro Mashima.

Summary: AU. Lucy is the daughter of wealth, the kind of girl that everyone envies. Natsu is the son of a beggar, the kind of boy no one cares about. When their lives suddenly collide, will sparks fly?

Key:

_Italics: _Thoughts/dreams

_**Bold Italics: **_Narrator

-X-X-X-

Chapter 2: Six Years Later

_A large grin, the kind that made everyone around him smile. Eyes the color of the darkest brown, lit with green tinges when he was emotional…_

_A picture of him formed in her mind, his semi-tall and lanky form, his tanned skin, and the little blue cat that always followed him around…_

_She remembered the last thing she had ever heard him say. _

"_Just trust me, Luce!"_

Lucy Heartfilia sat up in her bed, startled. Dreaming about him, now of all times? She shook her thoughts away, angry with herself. She had bigger things to worry about than a crazy boy that she had known when she was young. She was becoming a woman as of midnight tomorrow; a pink haired miscreant had no place in her dreams.

At least, she told herself that. Her heart began to pound as she really, truly remembered him for the first time in years.

_Natsu. _

She remembered the fire that leapt from his hand from an unknown source that he had tapped in to with such ease…

Lucy's family had moved their estate a few days after Natsu had shown her his magic, and Lucy had never seen Natsu again afterwards. At first, it had been hard to realize that she wouldn't have her childhood companion with her anymore, but she learned to live with it, because she had too.

"Miss Lucy, are you awake?" Her maid, Sarah, entered the room, and Lucy quickly covered herself out of modesty, as her blankets had spilled in front of her to reveal her bodice.

"You need not cover yourself, Miss Lucy. I have watched you grow since infancy. You have nothing to hide from me." the maid told her with a gentle, upward curl of her lips.

Lucy gave her an embarrassed glance and went about preparing for the day, trying to banish thoughts of Natsu from her mind.

-X-X-X-

"Natsu, come _on_! You need to wake _up_!"

The now seventeen year old Natsu Dragneel grumbled and turned away from the voice of his white haired friend. He was covered by a thick blanket, his head resting on a flat pillow. His legs were covered by the blanket, but he wore no shirt and his body was thick with muscle and the skin wove over them like smooth silk.

"I told you Lisanna, he won't wake up. That is, unless you kiss him." Happy grinned slightly at the end. Lisanna turned pink and she glared at the blue cat.

"Happy!" she admonished. The cat shrugged, a devilish grin on his face.

"Nhn? Wha's goin' on?" Natsu said sleepily.

"You're finally awake!" Lisanna cried happily, shaking the poor boy.

"Huh? Lisanna?" he blinked a few times, slowly coming out of his stupor. Lisanna took hold of his arm and yanked. "Ow!"

"Come on! Erza's giving out mission assignments and you're going to miss it if you don't move!"

Needless to say, Natsu was up and ready in under five minutes.

As Lisanna led Natsu to the guild, one could notice just how pretty she was.

Short white hair and dark blue eyes, complimented by a womanly physique and a pretty smile had her in the thoughts and dreams of many young men in the city of Magnolia, however she held out, hoping for one pink-haired boy to come to his senses.

_**The guild that Natsu, Lisanna, and Happy were members of was called Fairy Tail. It, along with the other guilds in the Kingdom of Fiore worked under the strict guidance of the Magic Council, only taking jobs that the Council decided were worth investigating. It was a harsh life, but not an intolerable one. The Council mainly became involved when magic was at a high point in power. Usually if there were other jobs, it was up to the discretion of the guild whether or not to handle it. **_

-X-X-X-

"Natsu, your mission will be to scope out the Heartfilia mansion. An unusual spike in magical energy has been detected by the Council, and they want someone to investigate."

Erza Scarlet, a tall armor mage of about nineteen years, stood on a table over the main building of the guild so that she could be heard. Her long, red hair fell down her back, and her brown eyes watched her guild mates with a curious, yet guarded expression. She wore a dark blue skirt, black knee-high boots and armor from her neck to her waist.

"But the Council hates us," Happy said plaintively. "Why would they ask us to help?"

"Because despite the fact that they do hate us, we still have the only Dragon Slayer mage in recorded history as a member. They need all the power they can get."

"Is the magic power really that bad?" Lisanna asked.

"The Council only said that they're 'highly concerned'. Spies have said that the daughter of the owner of the house could be a wizard that is using her magic inappropriately."

"I still don't get it," Happy complained. "Why-"

"Sure, I'll do it." Natsu interrupted Happy, punching his palm with his fist, grinning. "It'll be easy. A little stakeout, maybe grab some food…"

Lisanna and Happy looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

_Same old Natsu…_

-X-X-X-

"Oh Miss Lucy, you are simply breathtaking! Any man within eyesight of you will want your hand!"

Lucy squirmed uncomfortably in the piercing gaze of her father's staff.

"I just want a husband that will suit father's estate." Lucy replied robotically, knowing it was exactly what she was supposed to say.

The staff, seemingly satisfied, scurried off leaving Sarah behind.

"Oh Sarah…" Lucy sighed heavily, and the maid smiled sympathetically. She had been Lucy's maid since her birth, as Sarah had been the midwife to perform the procedure.

"Not here, where everyone can hear you," Sarah said quietly, referring to the members of the staff that were constantly moving about. "Tell me your problems later dear. We don't want your father hearing of any of this."

Lucy stiffened and then nodded, knowing that Sarah was correct.

_**Lucy's father, Jude Heartfilia, was the owner and chief operating officer of Heartfilia Kozern, or Heartfilia Rails. Because his business ran the trains all through Fiore, he needed a union between his daughter and the son of another powerful family to keep his company alive and well. **_

-X-X-X-

"Miss Lucy Heart-o-filia!"

Lucy winced. She sat in a large chair next to her father and they waited patiently as the sixth suitor of the day strolled inside the dining room.

He was a large man of wide girth and very distinguished – but also covered with grease and other bodily fluids. Lucy did her best not to gag from his nauseating smell.

"I am Count Eduardo Feliciano the Fifth, and I am here to request your hand in marriage." Instead of looking at Lucy as he proposed, he stared at her father. Jude's mustache ruffled, but that was the only indication of his dislike for the suitor in front of him. However, his personal dislike was not important; his offer for his daughter's hand was more essential.

"What do you offer for my daughter's hand?" Jude questioned.

"Money and wealth beyond her wildest dreams, for starters." Feliciano began, turning his gaze to Lucy. She unintentionally recoiled and, after a mean glare from her father, straightened her back. "I will also give you power over my family's magic, Mr. Heartfilia," Feliciano's eye gleamed as Jude stiffened.

_**Magic, despite being hard to control, was a hot commodity because it presented control over others without it. Having power and wielding it properly, are two different things, however… **_

"Get out," Jude growled. His eyes narrowed, glaring at the putrid-smelling man in front of him. "You will not mention that term in front of me. Get out of my house, and consider your request denied."

Feliciano's eyes widened, and then narrowed.

"Fine. But this is not the end, I will return." he swore an oath, and Lucy gasped at the menace in his voice.

"Guards! Remove him from my sight!" Jude called, the stress and anxiety in his tone abundantly clear.

_**Jude Heartfilia's hatred for magic stemmed from the death of his wife and Lucy's mother, Layla. He blamed magic because she had been a celestial spirit mage, and in an attempt to protect Lucy and Jude from a terrible creature, she had summoned far too many of her spirits and the sudden loss of magical power in her body ultimately killed her. **_

"Lucy,"

Jude looked at his daughter with unfathomable eyes. The mention of magic always did this, because it brought back memories of his late wife. "Return to your room, I think you've seen enough suitors for the day."

Despite herself, Lucy was relieved. She returned to her room, happy to be finished with men for the day.

-X-X-X-

"Oh Sarah, must I marry? I know that I need to carry on Father's wealth, but does it have to be through an arranged marriage? It's unfair; I want to marry for love, not for money!"

"I understand your pain my dear, but in this world we live in today, you must do what your father wants, otherwise you will lose everything."

Lucy sighed heavily, sitting down on her bed.

"I suppose you're right, but I wish that I could at least know what love feels like before being forced into a marriage with someone like Eduardo Feliciano." She shivered, and Sarah chuckled to herself.

"You are still young, and your father has many suitors to sort through before he can make a decision that benefits everyone. You have time yet, my dear."

"Do you think I could experience love before Father finds me a husband?" Lucy asked curiously, looking at Sarah.

"Anything's possible, my dear. Anything's possible…"

-X-X-X-

The next day, Natsu was ready to start his mission.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Lisanna said worriedly as Natsu packed his bags.

"What are you so worried about? It's not a big deal, I'll be back by the end of the week."

Lisanna bit her lip, and Natsu put his hands on her shoulders in a comforting way. She glanced up at him before looking away.

"I just have a bad feeling in my stomach that something's going to go terribly wrong." Lisanna insisted. "The Council has to have a reason for sending you of all people on this mission."

"You're probably just hungry, or you need to go to the bathroom." Happy popped out of nowhere. Natsu and Happy both started laughing, and Lisanna felt her face turn red.

"It's not that you two!" she said, infuriated. "Fine, if you don't want to listen to me, then go off and do the damn mission, what do I care?"

She stomped off angrily, and Natsu and Happy stopped laughing. They looked at each other and then shrugged.

-X-X-X-

"Ugh, I swear, he's the most annoying boy in the world!" Lisanna fumed to her older sister, Mirajane. Mira was the guild's bartender, so she stood behind the counter and dried a beer mug while her sister ranted.

Mira was a very beautiful woman with generous curves and long, wavy white hair that fell to her lower back. Her eyes were a deep blue, like her sister's, though she held in her demons, because she had to protect Lisanna and their brother, Elfman.

"Who is?" The brother in question asked, walking up to the bar. "Nee-chan, my usual drink please?" Mira slid a cup of dark liquid over the bar toward her brother.

Elfman was a tall, wide man with thick muscles and a shock of spiky white hair on his head. His eyes were so dark brown they were almost black. He was obsessed with manliness and constantly made remarks about people that were 'Men', regardless of their gender.

"Natsu!" Lisanna said, still peeved. "He's such a jerk. I don't know why I even bother…"

Mirajane smiled at her brother, who grinned back knowingly behind his beverage. They both knew why Lisanna 'bothered'. She loved Natsu; as more than a best friend. She was just too shy to admit it.

_**The three Take-Over siblings are Mirajane, Elfman, and Lisanna Strauss. Mirajane is the eldest, and her Take-Over magic is called Satan Soul, because she completely alters her usual happy personality to become a demon with dark powers. This usually happens when she is under great stress, otherwise she tries not to fight at all. Elfman is the middle child, and his Take-Over is called the Beast because he turns into a huge monster each time he embraces his full magic. However, it is hard for him to control and he tries to avoid going into his full beastly form. Lisanna, the youngest of the three, has the Animal Soul Take-Over ability, and she can change her body according to whatever animal form she needs at that moment. **_

-X-X-X-

Getting to the Heartfilia mansion would take at least a day. It wasn't very far from Magnolia, but Natsu and Happy had to get some supplies and things together before catching the train ride that would take the whole day.

"Ugh, trains…" Natsu grumbled. His famous motion sickness would kick in as soon as he stepped on the train, he knew.

"Maybe we should have had Lisanna come along." Happy said. "Laying on her lap usually helps."

"Nah, besides, she was mad at me today for some reason." Natsu remembered how upset Lisanna had been with a puzzled expression. "She said something about the mission…"

"It was probably nothing." Happy dismissed, and after a few moments, Natsu agreed.

Soon enough, they had purchased their supplies and train tickets and they were on their way to the Heartfilia mansion.

-X-X-X-

Within a day, Natsu and Happy were dropped off on the outskirts of the Heartfilia grounds, and, while Natsu was recovering from his motion sickness, Happy extended his wings to check the place out.

The land was huge – large enough to be considered its own small forest before you actually got to the dirt path that led to the mansion. Servants' quarters were spread out in small, one-room houses across the landscape, with trees and bushes around as well.

The dirt path that had led all the way up through the hilly lands turned into an extensive cobblestone path that circled the entire house. Behind the house there was a stream that stretched about a half-mile across, with a small bride between each side. A large fruit tree sat in the corner, and Happy spotted a young woman sitting underneath it. She sat with her knees bent up toward her chest, rifling through a magazine. From this high in the sky, Happy could not make out all of the distinct details of her body, but he knew he saw blond hair and a pale complexion.

Something struck him on the head, and he saw it was a rock. Natsu was trying to get his attention. He hesitated, wondering just who that girl was. Could she be the Heartfilia daughter? The one that was possibly practicing magic illegally?

"Happy!" Natsu was calling him now, and if the fire dragon didn't quiet down, he would alert security. Happy sighed and descended, tuning out Natsu's complaints about being left behind.

-X-X-X-

Meanwhile, back at the guild house, Lisanna paced nervously.

"I should have gone with them." she kept saying over and over, more to herself than anyone else. "I can't shake this bad feeling!"

"Natsu can handle himself," Jet told Lisanna with a wave of his hand. Jet was a tall, slim young man of about twenty with orange hair and chipped teeth.

_**Jet, is a member of Shadow Gear, a team of three mages within Fairy Tail. He works with Droy, a somewhat slow man of about twenty-one, as well as Levy McGarden, the only female of the group who is about seventeen. Both Droy and Jet are in love with Levy, but she pays them no mind. They work well together, despite their differences. **_

"I know that!" Lisanna said impatiently. "I just worry…" she added softly. "I've never felt this strange about a job before."

"Are you sure it wasn't something you ate?" asked Droy. Lisanna glared at him, daring him to make a bathroom dismissal like Natsu and Happy had.

"If you're so worried, why don't you just go to the estate yourself?" Elfman said, only to regret it when he was hit over the head by none other than Erza.

"Because I forbid it." The armor mage said plaintively. "Lisanna, you have your own mission to work on, don't you?"

Erza knew the answer to the question full and well, so she turned away and didn't wait for a response. She only slightly acknowledged it when Lisanna spoke.

"Yes." Lisanna sighed heaving her shoulders back as she did so. "I guess I should get to that, then."

Though no matter how hard she tried, she kept thinking about Natsu…

-X-X-X-

A/N: Chapter 2 is done! Baha. I'm trying to make my chapters within 7-10 pages from now on, because 5 pages is not enough. It make increase the time between updates, but at least when I do update, you're not disappointed by how short it is! xD

Anyway, as always, please review and tell me what you think. :3

Also, I promise that Natsu and Lucy will meet up in the next chapter! :D

And the Natsanna will be completely one-sided, don't worry. ;3 (No offense to Natsanna shippers, but if you were hoping this wouldn't turn out to be a Nalu fic, sorry to tell you but you're wrong. xD)

Okay, time for me to shut up and for you to press that fancy review button right there!

-Charmy


	3. Suitors and Slayers

We Owned The Night

By: TheFifthCharmedOne

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail; it belongs to Hiro Mashima.

Summary: AU. Lucy is the daughter of wealth, the kind of girl that everyone envies. Natsu is the son of a beggar, the kind of boy no one cares about. When their lives suddenly collide, will sparks fly?

Key:

_Italics: _Thoughts/dreams

_**Bold Italics: **_Narrator

-X-X-X-

Chapter 3: Suitors and Slayers

Lucy sighed as she was led into the dining room, knowing that the day would only bring more suitors. She wished with all her heart that things did not have to be this way. She wondered what her mother would do, if she were still alive and knew her father was forcing her to marry someone she didn't even know, let alone love.

_Oh Mama…_Her heart clenched. _I miss you. I wish you were here, I need your advice. _

"Miss Lucy?" Sarah must have noticed the faraway look in the blond's brown eyes because the old maid was looking at her with concern.

"I'm fine, Sarah." Lucy assured her, but she did not entirely assuage Sarah's worry. Lucy walked in to the dining room with her head held as high as possible. She wore her nicest pink gown with her hair pulled into a bun, except for on stray piece that framed her face.

"Ah, here she is now." Jude looked over at his daughter with a kind gaze, or, it could be considered kind to someone that didn't know him for his double meanings. Within his eyes, he hid a reserve of power that Lucy knew never to disobey.

"You did not lie, Mr. Heartfilia. Your daughter truly is beautiful." Lucy diverted her attention to the man that her father had been speaking to.

He stood tall and proud, wearing the clothes of an aristocrat. His hair was longish, reaching to the middle of his neck. Said hair was curly and dark brown, nearly black. His eyes were an inviting blue, and he was clean shaven with a neat scar near his eyebrow.

"Lucy, I would like you to meet Lord Caleb Draconis." Jude introduced. "He has come asking for your hand in marriage."

Lucy attempted to respond, but something in the hallway caught her eye.

Security was leading a boy in handcuffs to the underground dungeon. It wasn't that this was unusual, scavengers were often found on Heartfilia grounds, it was the color of his hair that made her gasp.

Rosy pink.

_No, it couldn't be. It can't be him. There's no way that it could be Natsu! _

"Lucy!" Jude's voice took on an angry edge that told Lucy he had been trying to get her attention for quite some time. She apologized quickly, but when she looked back at the hallway, the pink-haired boy was gone.

"It's all right, Mr. Heartfilia." Caleb told Lucy's father. Lucy turned her attention back to Caleb, and decided that he was very handsome.

"Lord Draconis has offered co-ownership of all of his land, as well as enough money to keep you comfortable for the remainder of your life." Jude informed Lucy.

"I would be honored to be your husband, Miss Heartfilia." He kneeled in front of her and took her hand, pressing his lips against the top of it. "Would you be my wife?"

Lucy knew that her father agreed with this arrangement, he had too. The look in his eyes told her that. Lucy also knew that it was a good arrangement, that she would be lucky to have such a desirable husband.

_I still want to marry for love, but…I have my loyalty to Father. And who knows? I may grow to love Lord Draconis. _

"I will." Lucy replied with a smile. A grin split the young lord's face, and Jude's mouth turned upward in what would be considered a smile, at least for him.

"Thank you Miss Heartfilia, I promise you will not regret this!" Lord Draconis told her.

"I know. And now that we're engaged, call me Lucy."

"And you may call me Caleb." Lucy's new fiancé said, the smile never leaving his face.

_**Marriages in Fiore were huge events. Depending on your family's status, and the status of your significant other, it could be as huge as a royal wedding, or as insignificant as two peasants marrying. Due to the Heartfilia and Draconis shared status of wealth and power, there would most definitely be a highly anticipated and celebrated ceremony. **_

"I propose we announce the engagement tonight." Jude said, that upturn of his lips still present.

"Tonight? Why so soon?" Lucy asked, surprised by her father's speed and abruptness.

"Why should we delay?" Jude responded, and Lucy had no answer to that. "I'll begin the preparations now. Sarah!"

"Yes, my lord?" The ever-loyal Sarah sped forward to her master's aide.

Lucy was shocked by this; she expected her father would want to wait at least a week before announcing the engagement, to make sure that Lord Draconis would not back down from his offer. And then there was that boy…

_Could it really have been Natsu? If so, why is he here? Does he remember me?_

"Shall we take a walk and get to know each other, my lady?" Caleb suggested, noting Lucy's distress.

"Oh! Of course!" Lucy said, knowing that this was the right thing. She had to marry Caleb, if nothing else but to support her own future.

_It's better if I just forget him. _Lucy told herself. Her stomach turned in protest. Lucy felt sick inside, as though her entire body was screaming at her to cancel the engagement…

-X-X-X-

Fire had filled the dungeon before the guards even knew what had hit them. The pink haired dragon freed his cat and was off, several unconscious guards in his wake.

Getting captured had been ploy to get inside the castle undetected. Now he had to investigate the spike in magical power, and before anyone at the guild got suspicious.

Natsu ran back the way he had come, following his nose.

_**Dragon Slayer mages are notorious for their heightened senses, the most important being smell. Natsu, being the only one on record, naturally can track people by scent as well as foods and other things that produce smell. **_

He was following the scent of magic; one that was very pungent the further in the castle. Suddenly, he stopped as a new scent occurred to him. Happy skidded to a stop, floating on his wings.

"Natsu? What's wrong?" he asked, trying to keep his voice quiet. Natsu reached behind his head and scratched, looking confused.

"The smell changed." he said. "It smells like…" his eyes widened as he remembered.

_A happy giggle rang through the wind as they chased each other across that field. Her dark pink dress swayed as she ran on her small legs, her blond hair swinging back and forth. And her scent –_

_That scent! _

Natsu stiffened, shocked. His ears twitched as he heard voices and saw shadows coming down the hallway. He grabbed Happy and they ducked into a small alcove. Happy let his wings fall away, knowing the need for secrecy.

"Isn't this exciting? Miss Lucy is getting married!" A young maid gossiped, her eyes wide and undoubtedly thrilled.

"And to a lord! This wedding will be the most waited for wedding of the year!" The other maid agreed, clapping her hands joyously.

"You two!" A new, more authoritative voice called out, and both of the younger maids winced. "Stop your gossiping and return to your posts, there are a lot of preparations to do for the announcement party tonight!"

"Yes Miss Sarah," they said obediently, and scurried away. The older maid sighed and followed them, most likely trying to be sure that they wouldn't get up to more mischief.

Meanwhile, Natsu stared at the floor, having slumped down against the wall. He felt as though the world had dropped on his shoulders, weighing him down with this new information.

"Natsu?" Happy asked quietly, putting a paw on the boy's knee.

"It's Lucy," he said hoarsely. "The same Lucy from years ago." Happy jumped back, making a loud sound of surprise. Natsu clamped a hand over the cat's mouth, but thankfully no one had heard him.

"Are you sure?" Happy asked once Natsu removed his hand.

"I'd know her scent anywhere." Natsu said, sounding slightly irritated. He ran a hand through his hair. Did the guild know that his old playmate was the daughter of the Heartfilia fortune? Was that why they had sent him on this mission?

_No, they couldn't know. Only Happy knows about Lucy, and he'd never tell anyone. _

His eyes widened.

_Unless…_

He thought back. While he and Lucy had been playing once, he remembered feeling like he was being watched. He had shaken it off at the time, but now, the more he thought about it, the more he knew the scent of the stalker.

_Lisanna! _

Had Lisanna told Erza? Or anyone else? Or was this all just a big coincidence?

Natsu sighed, a small bit of hot smoke escaping his mouth, telling Happy that he was getting aggravated.

_If Lisanna did tell the guild, then why did no one ever ask me about it? It's been…oh hell, about six years by now? Someone surely would have mentioned it. Not only that, but Lisanna was so nervous about this mission, if she had been the mastermind behind it, then she would have been urging me to go, not trying to get me to stay behind. _

"I'm so confused, Happy." he said woefully.

"Natsu…" Happy said, concerned. "Maybe we should just focus on the mission. Maybe Lucy's not involved at all."

"Doubtful." Natsu grumbled. "But you know what?" he stood to his full height, igniting his fists in flames. "It's fine, because I'm going to get her back. You with me, Happy?"

"Aye sir!" Happy cheered. In their excitement, they forgot about stealth.

"Hey, you!" A large guard ran toward them, and Happy and Natsu took off in the opposite direction.

_Don't you worry Lucy. Our friendship isn't over. I'm going to get you back. _

-X-X-X-

Meanwhile, a small lithe figure ran through an alleyway, her feet splashing in the puddles. Her brown eyes were wide with fright – and determination.

"Wendy!" A new voice echoed across the narrow alley, and the girl smacked directly into its source.

"Romeo!" She said breathlessly. "What are you doing out here?" They were both about fourteen, from the looks of their bodies and they way they spoke. Romeo's voice carried a bit of the mid-puberty rumble, and Wendy's body was in the midst of the change from young girl to young woman.

"I was worried about you." Romeo said, the smallest bit of a blush on his face. Wendy blushed as well, but then shook off her embarrassment. A loud bark only confirmed her fears. They were close.

"Come on, they're after me!"

"Who is?" Wendy grabbed his arm and they took off running. "Wendy, tell me what's going on!"

"The Dark One," Wendy said, her throat catching. "He's found me. He's probably going after every Dragon Slayer." Romeo noted the scared look on her face, and knew that she was definitely telling the truth.

"But you're not a Slayer," Romeo said, and Wendy fixed him with a look that commanded silence. The Dark Ones could not know of her true power, at least, not yet.

"Stop if you want to live," a new voice rumbled from behind them. The two continued to run, and the dogs only got closer. "Wendy, I command you to _stop_!"

Wendy stopped short, her face taking the form of a kind of hypnotism. Romeo looked over at her, only to gasp and step back.

Her eyes had gone completely black.

The dark brown gaze that sparkled when she smiled was gone, and the eyes that were there now were completely different. Romeo instantly realized what was happening.

"Let her go!" His hands lit with purple fire, a deadly kind.

_**Unlike most fire mages, Romeo had the ability to change the color of his flames. Red or orange was a standard type, destructive, green was healing, yellow was blinding, blue was painful, and purple was poisonous. **_

"When I have had my full use of her, I shall." the Dark One said, his eyes glinting with malice. Romeo's lip curled. "Do nothing, interloper." He was about the shoot his poison fire when Wendy screamed. Her body was lifted into the air, and the Dark One chuckled darkly.

"Now let's see what her deepest fears are," he murmured, casting out a clawed hand. The dogs panted; excited for the taste of pain and anguish. The dogs, well, if they could be called that, were abominations. Their bodies were gray and deformed, carrying strange marks; marks of the Dark One.

"Wendy!" Romeo cried in alarm. His fire disappeared. Wendy continued to scream, tears streaming down her face.

The Dark One smiled, and then released his hold on the girl. She fell in a heap, and Romeo rushed to her side. Wendy was now unconscious, but she was alive.

"Monster!" Romeo got to his feet and the purple fire returned to his fists. He shot it, but before it reached its mark, the Dark One and his dogs of hell disappeared. Romeo growled, annoyed at his defeat. Wendy moaned, and he fell to his knees beside her. His hands lit up again, but this time the fire was green. He held his hands over her body, but they did nothing to heal her. She slowly came too, and then began to sob. "Wendy," Romeo said softly.

"Oh, Romeo," she sounded relieved, her breath escaping her in relief.

"Can you tell me what you know about him?"

Wendy slowly got into a sitting position, and Romeo supported her. She was exhausted, almost like dead weight in his hands, but the fire mage reminded himself that she was alive, just emotionally scarred.

_**Romeo and Wendy are both what you would call "street urchins". They had found each other at a young age, and had been living and surviving together ever since. Romeo's family had perished in an explosion, or so he believed, and Wendy's family was no where to be found. **_

"Later." Wendy said softly. "I'm tired, and I just want to go home." Romeo smiled briefly.

"Sure." he decided that Wendy was more important than the Dark One. "Can you use your Rider magic?"

"I can try." Wendy got to her feet and closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she called out, "Magic of the Wind Dragon, Geraldine, I summon you!" Her eyes opened wide, and she took Romeo's hand. Under them, a shadowy blue form that looked strangely like a dragon appeared. "Go." Wendy spoke quietly, and the dragon flapped its wings and flew away.

-X-X-X-

A/N: Dragon Riders ftw! –shot for the Inheritance Cycle reference- Um, yeah. Bit of a twist on Mashima's Dragon Slayer idea. I came up with this the other night, and after mulling it over a bit I decided it was a good plan.

Basically, every Dragon Slayer mage can summon a spectral form of the dragon that taught them their powers. That is, except for Natsu. But I'll get into that later. xD

Hope you guys liked it! Also, the Lucy engagement thing won't last long, I promise. ;)

Note about my other stories: I swear I AM working on them. I'm just…really slow and lazy. :'D

Please review!

-Charmy


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